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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. face — to confront
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. march — the month
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. face — part of the head
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. rock — music
  24. deal — an agreement

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com